Coriolanus omringd door smekende vrouwen 1720

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have before us Bernard Picart's 1720 engraving, "Coriolanus Surrounded by Entreating Women". Editor: Right off the bat, I'm struck by the overwhelming plea being made here. So many hands, all those desperate faces, but the scene feels very distant in the style of Baroque, so distant, cold even. Is it meant to move us, or just show us a dramatic scene? Curator: Well, engravings, and baroque art, of the era sought to do both. As a history painting, the scene depicts the Roman general Coriolanus, swayed from attacking Rome by the pleas of his mother, wife, and other Roman women. The gestures carry tremendous symbolic weight. Look at the way Coriolanus holds his sword. Editor: Yeah, poised but maybe a little unwilling? His body language reads conflict. It's like, "Okay, okay, you got me, but I'm not exactly thrilled about it." Curator: Precisely! His hesitation is palpable. It speaks to the deeper tension between personal loyalty and patriotic duty. This moment hinges entirely on the symbolic power these women wield: their familial connection, and their embodiment of Rome itself. Editor: And the line work—that meticulous detail—gives everyone a strong sense of their identity, their role. I get lost in the details of their garments, which contrasts to the rather bland landscape behind them. You can see their humanity in their faces, etched as though in stone. Curator: Engravings are beautiful artifacts in themselves, yes, but it is useful to note that engravings such as this, especially produced as they were to illustrate books and spread ideas widely, served to codify virtue and ideals within society. Editor: A very loaded image that raises intriguing questions, no easy answers. Curator: Indeed, a narrative frozen in ink, still capable of stirring thought.